All language subtitles for 23.000.Lives.2026.GERMAN.NF.WEB.H264-EDITH.en

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

In the beginning,
it was just a passing thought.

Can we just let people drown like that?

Can we look away?

The thought became a feeling.

And that feeling wouldn't go away.

It got bigger.

Grew stronger.

Until it wouldn't let me go.

Now we're facing 20 years in prison.

SUMMER
2015

Go!

No!

In the summer of 2015,

hundreds of thousands of refugees
arrived in Germany and Europe.

Can you return the bottles?

They were fleeing war and violence

in search of protection
or a better future.

WHERE DOES EUROPE END?

Morning.

Yes, you look good.

So do you.

Despite enormous challenges
and many unanswered questions,

a wave of support
swept across our country.

-Sorry.
-Don't worry, honestly. It happens.

-Sorry.
-Honestly, don't worry.

Excuse me, I've got a food donation.

The warm welcome didn't last.

Before long, Europe was overwhelmed,
and the borders closed.

The only option was the dangerous journey
across the Mediterranean.

There were no government rescue missions

and only one private ship
that tried to save people from drowning.

Want this?

Even though it seemed impossible…

I wanted to help.

Foul!

We talked about this at uni.

Europe ends 24 nautical miles
off the coast of Italy.

Nobody cares what happens beyond that.

There was a state rescue mission,
Mare Nostrum.

In one year,
they rescued over 150,000 refugees.

But then it stopped.
No more help. No one goes out anymore.

I mean, there are sometimes
over 100 people in a rubber dinghy

or over 1,000 people
in an old wooden boat.

They have no life jackets,
so if they capsize, they drown

because no one's there to save them.

I was wondering if we could buy a ship

to help people down there.

Buy a ship?

Yeah, it's an option.
There are loads online.

How are you gonna do that?

You have no money
and know nothing about ships.

Yeah, I have no… I know, but…

I mean, all over the world,
young people put their ideas together

and achieve big things.

What if we use the same energy
and the same creativity

to do something, not for ourselves,
but for people in need?

Hello, I'm Lukas Weiland.

I came across your ship online
and would like to take a look at it.

A private individual.

It's for a good cause.

I'm looking for a ship to help people
in distress in the Mediterranean Sea.

I don't have the money yet.

I wanted to find out what requirements
a ship like that has to meet.

I thought you might be able to help me.

Well, I…

I've almost got the money together.

Almost, meaning almost.

I'll get in touch
when I've got all the money together.

You wanted me to have a plan,
and now I have one.

Lukas, I think it's great.

It's fantastic.

But to be honest, when I said plan,
I didn't mean buying a ship.

Isn't there some middle ground
between working in a supermarket

and following a pipe dream?

I don't think saving people
from drowning is a pipe dream.

That's not what I meant.

I can tell you exactly
what's going to happen.

You'll throw yourself into it
with all your passion, and I love that,

but you won't raise the money.

And after a year,
you'll have a huge gap on your résumé,

while people like Kitty are already
at a human rights law firm,

making a real difference.

Well, I have to pass two state exams
before I can save the world.

Of course, I know that.

No, I just don't want to be used
as a counterexample

for you to criticize Lukas.

Yes, you're right.

Okay, I apologize.

All I'm saying is
that if you choose a normal path,

it doesn't automatically mean
you're selfish.

I never said that.

Okay, but let's say
you make it down there.

What then?
You're not going to change the world.

But the world has to change.

And it won't if no one does anything.

What does Dad think?

I haven't talked to him.

I'm just worried.

Keep at it anyway.

Sure, your mom might be right
and you won't achieve anything in a year,

but I honestly don't believe that.

And secondly,

you can't go back now.

Because you know it's right
and you have to do it.

You can't just say, no, I won't do it
because it's too hard

or because I'll have a gap in my résumé.

And I'll do everything I can.

I'll do whatever I can to help,
but I won't give up my studies.

That's my plan. It's what I want to do,
and it matters to me.

-I would never expect you to.
-I know. I…

I…

I think I'm just telling myself,
because I know I'm going to feel guilty.

Jugend Rettet.

What?

I think it's a good name.

Impressive.

Such initiative.

It's very brave,
what you're planning to do.

I'm particularly pleased

to see young people
wanting to get involved in politics.

But we're a bank.

And not a charity.

We're a charity. And sadly not a bank.

As a member of parliament,
I'm neither a charity nor a bank.

And if we're being honest,
we think your plan is a little too…

…naive.

In any case, it's unrealistic.

Especially for someone as young as you.

But I'd be happy to put you
on our internship list.

EVERYONE IN DISTRESS AT SEA
DESERVES TO BE RESCUED

People are dying
because they want a safer life,

and all I keep getting told is,

it's impossible,
it's unrealistic, it's naive.

It's naive to believe
the problem will somehow solve itself.

Thanks.

-Will you take the minutes?
-Sure.

And if you're free and feel like it…

Thanks again for the photocopies.

Sure.

Are you still buying your ship?

I'm still buying my ship,
and I'll find people to join me.

Shoot for the moon…

You'll miss the stars, but you'll land…

…somewhere.

-Do you have tape?
-Yeah.

Everyone in distress at sea
deserves to be rescued.

Everyone deserves to be rescued.

Stop by on Saturday at 4 p.m.
We're getting involved in sea rescue.

JUGEND RETTET
INFO SESSION

Everyone deserves to be rescued.

Stop by if you're free and feel like it.

We're getting involved in sea rescue.
Feel free to stop by on Saturday at 4 p.m.

We're getting involved in sea rescue.
Find us on Facebook.

All the info's on there.
Our first meeting's on Saturday at 4 p.m.

If you're interested.

Hundreds of people are believed
to have died in the Mediterranean

in one of the worst refugee tragedies
to date.

A trawler carrying around 700 refugees
capsized last night

between the Libyan coast
and the Italian island of Lampedusa.

According to the UN Refugee Agency,
only 28 refugees could be rescued.

Federal Minister of the Interior
de Maizière is calling

for a European strategy

to combat smuggling networks
and stabilize the region.

As far as we know,

the overcrowded boat capsized
during attempts to rescue people.

Many of the refugees
were pulled under by the waves.

There simply aren't enough ships
to rescue people.

Aid organizations estimate
that in the first half of this year,

around 1,600 people have died
trying to flee to Europe,

more than ever before.

SHIP

Morning.

I hung up some of your stuff
just to get an overview.

Schedule-wise, we won't be able
to carry out a mission this year.

So the goal is

to have a ship down in the Mediterranean
by next summer, right?

That gives us six months.

We need a ship.

We need people to help us
with communication,

organization, and crewing.

And we need money.

HELPERS - MONEY - SHIP

I know it's a bit unexpected,
but I lay awake all night.

And every day, I sit in classes

where we talk about
having to change things.

And in the meantime,
you just go out and change something.

And I thought, "What am I doing?"

What's up?

Nothing. I…

I think it's great.

-Good.
-Does that mean you're in?

Yes.

Well, the ship is your thing,
but I'll take care of the organization

and find more helpers.

We'll do the financing together somehow.

How much money do we need?

Roughly for the ship,
fuel, food, accommodation,

medical equipment,
life jackets, and so on,

300,000 euros.

300,000?

Yeah, ships alone are
between 60,000 and 100,000.

How were you planning on financing that?

Well, I was thinking
of a crowdfunding campaign,

donations,

and flea markets.

-Flea markets?
-Selling stuff, clothes…

20-WEEK CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN

GOAL: 300,000 EUROS

-May I?
-Yes.

Thank you. Bye.

Every donation helps!

-How much have we made so far?
-About 300.

Great, just 299,700 to go.

Yup.

-Hey, Domi!
-Hello.

Guys, this is Dominique.
She'll be doing our PR.

Awesome.

Here's a version in another color.

Okay, this one has real power.

-No way, Lukas.
-Why not?

Well, the fist.

WEEK 4

The next one is my favorite.
Kitty made it.

It's really great.

WEEK 6

And open!

We just wanted to contact actors
to create social media content.

But the German Film Academy
really liked our idea.

They had an office available
and asked if we'd like it.

-Lukas, right?
-Yes, I'm Lukas. Hey.

-Katja. Nice to meet you.
-Likewise.

What you're doing is terrific. Bravo.

WEEK 8

Nina? Lukas?

No!

-Awesome!
-Askanius!

You're a hero! Wow, we have a website!

-I'm Domi. Glad to have you with us.
-I'm Sam. Happy to be here.

-Welcome. I'm Domi.
-I'm Paula. Nice to meet you.

Jugend Rettet is committed
to our legal obligation

to save people from drowning.

To do that, they need a ship.

And we need your help to finance it.

I had a ten-hour train journey.
There's no way you're not showing up.

We have to choose one eventually.

If we don't show people
the exact ship we want,

the crowdfunding will fail.

People need to see
where their money is going.

-I know.
-No money, no ship.

And no Jugend Rettet.
We'll just donate what we--

Jeez, Nina. I know!

WEEK 18: 121,000 EUROS RAISED

Do you have loyalty points?

-No!
-Yes!

I told you!

-How am I gonna pay for this street?
-The bank's happy.

-What do I have? A hotel.
-It'll be thousands.

-I have to take out a mortgage.
-It's 19,000.

Hold on a sec.

Yes? Hello?

I thought it was no longer available.

No, we haven't decided on a ship yet.

Okay, I'll call your office tomorrow.

Great, thanks. Bye.

We got it.

Guys!

I've got our ship.

I saw it on one of my trips,
but it wasn't available.

But now it is.

-Okay.
-So…

The Alk Explorer was used as a patrol boat
in the North Sea.

It has a medical area,
the engine's been overhauled,

the deck has room for over 200 people,

and most importantly,
it has a low entry point,

making it much easier
to get people on board.

And what's the catch?

It's 150,000.

Right.

The deadline for our crowdfunding campaign
is in two weeks.

And although we've found a ship,
we can't afford it.

As of today, we'll miss our campaign goal.

By a lot, about half.

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Well, there are still two parties

who are considering
a large one-off donation.

One of them is a vape start-up.

Drag & Joy.

They're considering donating 20,000.

But we have to put their slogan
on the life jackets.

And what is their slogan?

"A new kind of pleasure."

100 people in an inflatable
with life jackets that say,

"A new kind of pleasure."

Holy moly.

What's the second option?

A couple from Kreuzberg
with a private foundation.

-Here?
-Yeah.

We specifically promote nonprofit projects
in which committed people

actively and democratically help to shape
their own living environment.

That's why Jugend Rettet caught our eye.

We invited you here to tell us more
about your ideas and their implementation.

-In our folder--
-Who does your costings?

Actually, you do.

What are you studying?

Social and economic communication.

-International relations.
-And I'm still figuring it out.

Do you have anyone
with experience in the field to help you?

Not yet, but we're--

Anyone with a financial background
to help you with the finances?

We're just setting it up.

-Or a lawyer?
-We have a--

Anyone who's done more

than just starting a degree
or "figuring it out"?

You're right, of course.
We're not professionals.

None of us have a degree yet.
We're all doing this for the first time.

But I assure you we will make up for that

with energy and passion.

And that's exactly
why we're looking for people like you

who share our humanitarian values.

So no one.

Okay, guys, plan B.

We'll do everything on a smaller scale.

We'll buy a smaller ship,
start later, and do fewer missions.

We had an offer for this small…

The Passat.

I've been on it.
I know what it looks like.

That's great.

At least you know how it works.

For fuck's sake.

Yes?

Okay, great. Talk soon.

Gans.

-Hello, Mrs. Gans. We're ready.
-Good.

So we looked at your costings,
and it's not that far-fetched.

Ask about the office.

-The office.
-Yes.

However, we noticed a few items
missing from your calculations,

like your office expenses.

It's sponsored by the film academy.

-Then the shipyard to convert the ship.
-It's sponsored by the shipyard owner.

He wants to do something good
and can claim it against his taxes.

Okay. The accommodation in Malta?

It's an old lighthouse.

Let me guess. Also sponsored?

Exactly.

We have some concerns

about the professionalism of your project,
the structure of your organization,

and future financing
beyond the first missions.

But we'll buy you the ship.

-What?
-Yes.

My husband and I have decided
to buy you the ship.

-Have a nice evening.
-You too, thank you.

As individuals, we are powerless
and cannot change the world.

A group of students in Berlin are proving
that this doesn't have to be true.

A ship currently at Emden shipyard
has been bought by Jugend Rettet,

a group of young people

who plan to set off
for the Mediterranean in four weeks

to rescue refugees in distress at sea.

They've renovated the ship themselves
over the past two months.

Their deep commitment seems

to resonate
with the rest of the population too.

We saw on Facebook

that they had problems
with the electronics.

So we thought we'd stop by.
It's for a good cause.

And before the Iuventa

is transferred to Malta
after all their hard work,

today was the day.

We christen you Iuventa.

Jugend…

MALTA, JULY 2016

Mind your heads!

Slowly.

I'm Maik.

I've just graduated from high school,
and school's important.

But what I find really important
is saving people's lives.

That's why I'm super happy
to be here with you.

And you guys are really cool. Thank you.

Hi, I'm Paula.

I saw on Facebook that you were looking
for someone who speaks Arabic.

I'm studying Arabic, and I think
we need to start making a change.

Because action is hope.

Okay. I'm Sören.
I'm the head of mission here.

I feel a bit strange
that I'm the oldest one here.

Before you contacted me,

I was on the Sea-Watch
and before that on Lesbos.

And I hope I can support you
with my experience.

I'm Viola, the captain.

I was on the Sea-Watch with Sören.

In my other life, I push
a 5,000-ton walker across the water.

I'm first officer
on a cruise ship for seniors.

I believe you shouldn't just talk
about a fairer world,

but fight for it too,
and that's why I'm here.

I understand German.

-Have a safe trip!
-Bye!

-Ciao, Nina!
-See you soon!

-See you soon!
-See you soon!

-The ship we were given looks good.
-Yeah.

It's old, but at least it was free.

FIRST MISSION 2016
JULY 24, DAY 01

198 NAUTICAL MILES OFF LIBYA

Come here.

That wasn't that bad.

As you can see, there are
built-in compasses for taking bearings.

If you spot something,
inform the bridge immediately.

Lukas, what bearing do you have?

Eighty-five.

Eighty-five. So you'd say,
"I can see a boat at 85 degrees,"

and point to it.

Keep looking, point to it,
and don't lose sight of it, okay?

How do you find the rescue missions?

It's hard to generalize.
It's different every time.

But it does something to you, right?

Well, it hasn't made me more optimistic,
to put it optimistically.

But no matter what you think,

it does something to you. To everyone.

Let's move it up first.

That's it.

Keep it nice and taut.

Always keep it taut.

If a wave hits us,
the rope could catapult you into the sea.

Then you'll go for a swim. Now stop!

Okay, you have to rescue me now.

Never do what Lukas did.

Go against your instincts.

Throw in a life jacket,
and they have to cling to it.

-Got it?
-Yes.

We'll reach the 24-mile zone
off Libya tomorrow.

That means

we might encounter rubber dinghies
carrying refugees for the first time.

They're probably deeply traumatized.

They've been on these boats
for days, hours, fighting for their lives.

So they might not behave
the way we expect them to.

Correct.

Wherever there are rubber dinghies,
there are usually engine fishers close by.

These people remove the engines
from the rubber dinghies to reuse them.

If we come across them,
please focus on the rescue.

We will then try to destroy the boats,

but not at the expense of our safety
or the people we are rescuing.

This is the so-called Libyan coast guard.

They're actually Libyan militias.

It's mostly young guys
who've just come back from the civil war,

and they organize the escape boats.

As you can see, they are armed,

aggressive, and very dangerous.

You have to be careful.

I'm on night watch tonight.

It's crazy.

The sea is completely calm
and pitch black.

What are you up to?

I have to work tonight. How are you guys?

Pretty good.

At the beginning in Berlin
and when we were renovating the ship,

everything felt so clear.

We didn't question a thing.

But now we're here, it's different.

Suddenly, everything's very real.

We're shit-scared
that we won't be able to do it.

I totally get that.

But you have each other.

Everything's okay.

I miss you.

I miss you too. So much.

FIRST MISSION 2016
JULY 26, 5:23 AM

18 NAUTICAL MILES OFF THE COAST OF LIBYA

Bridge to lookout.

Lookout to bridge, receiving you.

There's a boat at 10 o'clock.

Lukas, we're on.

Let's go up!

Iuventa, RHIB.

Iuventa. RHIB, Iuventa.

The boat looks like a rubber dinghy.

Not sure how many people. Looks crowded.

-Paula.
-Yeah?

There's a boat.

Sören for Maik.

Yes?

A boat's heading this way.
I think they're engine fishers.

Okay, don't take any risks
and come back, please.

Okay, copy.

-Ready?
-Yes.

Okay, let's go.

Go on!

What are you doing here?
You sons of bitches!

-Everything okay?
-Everything's okay. Coming.

Okay, great.

Careful. Watch his head.

Careful.

Today on the boat…

when I was given Rose's baby,

Pride,

it was such a big responsibility, man.

It was the first time
I've ever held a baby.

And the whole time I was thinking,

"Don't drop him, Mauro."

"You can't drop Pride."

"This is the most important thing
you'll ever do."

FIRST MISSION 2016
JULY 29, DAY 06

30 NAUTICAL MILES OFF LIBYA

If you want to say, for example,
"I'm Paula," or "I'm Lukas, Maik…"

then you say, "Ana Paula."

Ana Maik. Exactly.

We can see the boat.
Not sure how many people. Almost there.

Look! Dolphins!

-No.
-Yes.

Shit!

Good morning, Iuventa.
We have the first case of the day.

It is a blue wooden boat.

You can go on the longitude
and wait for migrants.

Iuventa, RHIB.

We have two people. One is unconscious.
We've started resuscitation.

Roger. We'll prepare everything.
I'll let Su know.

Hang in there.

…22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.

…26, 27, 28, 29, 30.

-It's not working.
-Wait!

It's not working.

Five.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Twenty.

Lukas, it's over.

END OF FIRST MISSION
BERLIN, AUGUST 16, 2016

CREW CHANGE ON THE IUVENTA

You're back!

It feels so absurd

that the weather down there is
so good all the time.

The sun is shining.

The sea is so calm.

And at night it's so quiet.

And then,

you sit there knowing

this is when the rubber dinghies
will be setting off.

When we encounter them,

most of them have already been
on an odyssey for years.

Then they come on the Iuventa

and kiss the deck.

They put their arms up in the air

because they're so happy…

and so glad to have finally made it.

And we know it's not over yet.

But of course,
you can't tell them that then.

I still have Lukas, Nina, Domi,
and Mauro from Jugend Rettet with me.

I'd like to talk
about how people can join you.

But first, we want to know
what our listeners think about it.

Isn't it our duty to save these people?

Is it even up for discussion?

I have Christian
from Schöneberg on the line.

First, I want to say
I really appreciate that you're helping.

But what I don't understand is

why don't you take these people
back to Africa?

Why do they all have to come to Europe?
I don't get it.

The Geneva Refugee Convention says

we're not allowed to return people
to unsafe countries,

and Libya is an unsafe country.

So it would be against the law
if we did that.

And to be frank,
it's not just against the law.

They would be imprisoned and tortured.

They'd die if we took them back.

Then take them
to some other African country

where they are safe.

I don't get why they have to come to us.

There's a basic right to asylum
in Germany.

Okay, but that doesn't mean
we can take everyone.

Taking in more and more migrants
won't help our problems.

-Tell me, Christian.
-Yes?

-What are you scared of?
-I'll feel uncomfortable here.

Criminals will come here.
My kids won't be safe.

I'm scared
our country won't be able to handle it.

It's great that you're helping people
in the Mediterranean,

but you're not helping
people here in Germany.

That's just what I think. Bye.

THIRD MISSION 2016
SEPT 29, DAY 09

INTERNATIONAL WATERS OFF LIBYA

So we should all be at 65 degrees now.

So 65 degrees would be the bearing
you'd give to the bridge.

Sören, can you come to the bridge?

Wait, I'll call you back, okay?

Yes?

A speedboat is heading toward us
way too fast, from the south.

They're not responding.

-Are they militias?
-Yeah, we don't know.

We've initiated the lockdown.
Su's taking everyone to the engine room.

I'm going on deck now.

De-escalation. Stay on the line, okay?

Yeah.

Fuck, Viola. They're armed.

We do search and rescue.

We are friendly.

I talked to the crew.

We took a vote, and we'd like to continue.

But it's not just your decision.
We can't risk this happening again.

I mean, they were armed.

Lukas, we know. We were there.

We're only talking about taking a break
for one or two weeks max

until we can better assess the risk.

The people getting into boats
in Libya tonight also want a break.

Don't be so mean, Viola.

We were there too.
You're not the only one who gets it.

By continuing, we're signaling
that we won't be intimidated.

Otherwise, it's exactly what they want.

You understand?

It's your decision.

Okay, we'll go back to Malta,

take a break,
and prepare for the next mission.

We'll have to accept that.

Is that the signal you want to send?

At least no one's in danger.

That's what Chimamanda Ngozi says
in "The Danger of a Single Story."

If you keep portraying
certain people as one thing,

poor, uneducated, powerless,
and repeat it over and over,

they eventually become
that one thing to us.

So what we say about people
and how we say it

has enormous power.

Let's take another example.

If you start the history of America
not with Christopher Columbus

but with the Native Americans,
you have a completely different story.

Hello!

Sorry, this is super important.

I am in Konstanz.

I am in Konstanz.

Where's Kitty?

She's still out.

Having a tough time?

We're just
in two different worlds right now.

How are you?

Pretty exhausted.

I thought once we had the ship,

our problems would be over.

-Is Mauro already asleep?
-Yeah.

Or rather, he's trying to sleep.
He's not doing so well.

You know he cried
every day in the engine room?

He was so excited to go.
I thought it would do him good.

Somehow, he just can't shake it.

Shame, your donation
would've helped a lot.

Domi, can you add these donors? Thanks.

You do know
your donation is tax-deductible?

"Do you want to destroy Europe?
Where are they meant to live?"

"Have you ever thought about that?"

We have two weeks to go
and no first officer,

no driver for the second RHIB,
and no one for the sick bay.

Su just needs a break.

"I hope you human traffickers get
what you deserve."

"Long prison sentences."

"Traffickers without borders.
I hope you die at sea."

-I can't get in anywhere.
-What's up?

They've hacked our website,
socials, everything.

-Who was it?
-Some right-winger. Who else?

Fuck's sake, man.

"I saw you on TV."

"What you're planning to do is
such a crap idea."

"Where are they all gonna go?
What will happen to our jobs and women?"

What's that? Who was in Hamburg?

Why is there a receipt
from fucking Hamburg?

This was under the sink.

"Fuck you
and your Islamization of the West."

"Germany is for Germans and no one else."

Lukas, Italy has ordered the Iuventa
to Lampedusa port.

With only five refugees on board.

What? That doesn't make any sense.

-Viola, you're on speaker.
-Listen.

We have five minors on board.

There are
four or five rubber dinghies out there

with 500 people we can't help
if we leave now.

-Can the five be handed to another ship?
-We tried all that.

-The Italian authorities refused.
-We have to go straight to Lampedusa.

They're even sending angry emails like,

"Follow the order!" So…

-Where are you right now?
-A day away from Lampedusa.

We'd lose at least two days.

So we're not doing that.

But we can't refuse to cooperate
with the authorities. It's not an option.

Nina, we're here to rescue these boats.
That's why we're here.

-Human lives come first.
-Meaning?

We've decided to ignore the order.
We're staying here.

No. If you do that,
you won't get any support from us.

You'll be doing it against our orders.
We'll stop all missions.

We cooperate.
That's the idea behind Jugend Rettet.

-Are you serious?
-Yes.

Yes?

-It's a bunch of fascists.
-What?

-Are you crazy?
-Hey, get lost!

-Who is it?
-A bunch of fascists.

What the hell is this?

-Should we call the police?
-Yeah, definitely.

-We're calling the police.
-Hey, come on.

What the hell?

-Fuck off, guys.
-That's enough now.

That's enough!

Get lost!

Guys, what the hell? Piss off.

We're calling the police. Piss off.

What the fuck?

Great, thank you.

What the fuck, man?

You guys are insane.

Get lost!

Piss off!

Mauro, are you okay?

-Can you hear me?
-I can't breathe, Nina.

Okay, listen.

Nice and calm. Breathe out.

-It's okay. They've gone.
-I can't breathe.

Breathe out slowly.

You're safe.

Everything's fine.

They've gone. Everything's okay.

We can't do missions in winter.

And there aren't any rubber dinghies
because of the bad weather, so…

So we're using the time
to renovate the Iuventa.

We'll have a huge meeting in January
to recap our first year at sea.

What went well, what didn't.

What?

Nothing.

What is it?

Nothing.

I didn't want to get into this tonight.

But you said
all this would go on for a year max.

It's almost been two.

And?

And Kitty's almost done with her studies.
You know what I'm thinking.

I'll tell the people down there that.

"Sorry, my mom thinks
I should do something proper now."

-That's not what I meant.
-What did you mean?

It's normal to worry
after almost two years,

six months of which
I didn't hear from you.

-You can't go on like this.
-I don't want to go on like this.

I'd be so happy
if I didn't have to do this.

If I wasn't needed anymore.
If someone else took over.

But no one will.

No government is gonna say,
"Hey, we're gonna take over from you."

And you won't either.

You donate your 500 euros at Christmas,
and that's that.

So we'll keep going.

Right.

This is what happens
when you cooperate with the authorities,

get pulled from a mission,
and have your ship searched.

They interviewed us all night,
then let us go back out.

We lost two whole days.

We went to Lampedusa with five minors,

while hundreds of people were
out there in dinghies.

I don't know what happened to them,
but I know that at that moment,

it doesn't matter what the coast guard
or any authority says.

We need to save lives.

Okay, but what do you think
we could have done?

Because ignoring orders
isn't a solution either.

Stay and rescue.

You should have backed us up
and ignored the order.

-Not in the name of Jugend Rettet.
-It's our ship. We can do what we want.

It's not your ship though.
And it's not ours.

You didn't buy it. We didn't buy it.
It was provided to us.

I know rescuing is our priority,

but you can't do
what you want with donations.

What we want? We do what we have to do.

Jugend Rettet aims to cooperate.

If cooperating means walking
over dead bodies, then we can't.

Not cooperating, being criminalized,
and losing donations

will not help us save more lives.

The image you're trying to protect
with your designer clothes…

Come on, Viola.

…doesn't help the people
we're trying to save.

-Stop it!
-I have the dead on board.

They're not on your desk in Excel sheets.

Viola, you don't get it, do you?

Without us here, you wouldn't have a ship.

God, I'm not sitting here
sucking up to people.

I do public relations,
fundraising, advocacy.

I read every fucking email,
no matter how hateful.

And every day,
I try to convince people to support us.

Without the work we do here,
we wouldn't have a cent.

If we let the Italians send us away,
your fucking money is no use to me.

Stop it!

We're ruining everything.

You're being so disrespectful
and self-righteous.

-I just said it like it is.
-We're not your enemies.

She's right.

That was super shitty of her.

I give up half my life
to sit here every day

just to be accused of caring more
about designer clothes than people dying.

There are two kinds of people.

You either make Excel sheets
or save lives.

It's just two different perspectives
on the same problem.

But we can't just self-destruct,
because we want the same thing.

Just because I'm not out there

doesn't mean I don't know
exactly what's going on.

But the people here don't change
because of that.

No one has said
"We've got this" for a long time.

Nobody wants anything to change here.

Everyone just wants the problem solved,
but in a way that doesn't affect them

or require them to do anything.

How are we supposed to convince anyone
if even we can't stick together?

Maybe I don't belong here.

-Sorry.
-Domi.

Oh shit.

-Do you know where Sören and Viola are?
-Upstairs.

Thanks.

The militias are now
the official Libyan coast guard.

Yeah, and Europe is financing
and training them.

It's crazy how much it's changed.
No one wants to deal with refugees.

They want to block
the entire Mediterranean route.

That's why they ordered us to Lampedusa.
They don't want any witnesses.

Totally. They want us to give up.

But more boats are arriving
than last year.

They come in groups.

Sometimes, there are eight or nine boats
at the same time.

So many people.
They'll all die if no one rescues them.

Sören!

-What?
-There are way too many for us!

When is the fucking coast guard coming?

-I don't know. They said they were coming.
-That was ages ago.

We can't do this alone.

Get your people from the boat
onto the life raft.

We'll fill up the life raft, okay?

No!

-Anything from the coast guard?
-They're rescuing two other boats.

What about other ships? The navy?

-They said there aren't any.
-There aren't any?

Wait, Sören.

Get people on deck
and cut the life rafts free.

-No, we can't.
-We have to.

I can't navigate in this weather.
I'll be broadside to the waves.

Viola, the whole deck is full.
Do you understand?

-We can't get anyone else up here.
-I know, but we have to.

-One big wave and we'll capsize.
-Fuck, Sören, I know!

Lukas! Maik! Come up!

We have to get everyone up here
and below deck.

Come up!

Come on.

Everyone below deck.

Get everyone below deck! Take them down.

We ended up being out there for 48 hours,

completely on our own,

without the coast guard
or navy coming to help.

Our ship was so overcrowded
that people drowned before our very eyes.

We had no room on board,
no life jackets, nothing.

The worst part was people kept coming,
and we couldn't do anything to help them.

We eventually took shelter
in the lee of a container ship

and transferred the people we'd rescued

to a much larger ship
from Save the Children.

That's what we're up against right now.

You're still in the Mediterranean.
Where exactly?

Malta.

We're preparing for our next mission.

What do you have to say, Mr. Bergmann?
Shouldn't politicians do more?

First, I'd like to say
what the young people are doing down there

is truly commendable.

And I don't want to dispute
that their motives are right.

They are.

But from our point of view,
rescue ships are also pull factors.

So they encourage refugees
to risk getting into boats.

Exactly, it changes things

when I know there are ships out there
waiting to pick me up

and bring me to Europe.

-That's not true though.
-Mr. Weiland?

Sorry, but that's not true.

People don't come

because some NGOs are waiting
for them out there with ten rescue ships.

They come
because their countries are at war.

Because they're persecuted
due to their religion or sexuality.

Because they have no food.

I mean, they get into a rubber dinghy
and head out to sea.

How desperate do you have to be
to do that?

On board, they don't ask
about social benefits.

They ask, "Can I write to my mother
to tell her I'm alive?"

What do you say to allegations

that some sea rescuers
are working with smugglers?

That you communicate directly beforehand
about where and when boats leave?

These allegations aren't true either.
The relevant authorities know that too.

They've been fabricated to discredit us.

People end up believing them

when they are repeated
on talk shows like this.

We do not communicate beforehand.

But sometimes,
you leave them the boats and engines.

We're far out at sea.

Of course we don't always have time
to destroy the boats,

because we're trying to save people.

Because we… Because that's our priority.

We're there for the people, not the boats.

MALTA. LATE JULY 2017

Wow, you look like shit.

Come on, let's walk for a bit.

What's your conference again?

-Where is it again?
-Syracuse, Sicily.

Oh, right.

It's on the International Bill
of Human Rights.

Nina said the situation down here
has gotten really difficult.

That's a nice way of putting it.
It's basically war.

They're waging war
against the refugees and us.

The Italian government wants us
to sign a code of conduct,

so police can come on the Iuventa

and interrogate the refugees on board.

Their first question will probably be,
"Who was steering the boat?"

Someone who's proud to have contributed
to the rescue will probably speak up

and end up in jail for 20 years
for human trafficking.

Most NGOs have already signed it,
but we won't.

Let's see what they come back with.

My ferry is leaving soon.

When is your next mission?

Tomorrow.

Take care of yourself.

No problem.

Who are they?

Supposedly two brothers from Syria.

With suitcases.
Dropped off by the coast guard.

Are we supposed to take them to Lampedusa?

Yes.

No way.

Give me a sec.

Wait. I'll put you on speaker.

-Go ahead.
-Okay. Where are you?

By the ship. They're searching it.

I know.
The phones are ringing off the hook here.

The ship is being impounded.

We're being charged
with human trafficking.

That's what the Italian authorities
told the press.

Apparently, there's a 400-page indictment.

It's all over the media.

Yeah, I can see that.

So they knew before we did?

They were clearly well prepared.

I found a lawyer from Borderline Europe
who's on vacation on Lampedusa.

She's going through the indictment.
You could meet with her.

Okay, thanks.

-Take care.
-We will.

Bye.

That's why they ordered us to Lampedusa.

To bug us.

Fucking hell.

Hello, my friend.

Hello, Lamin.

-I tried to call you. Five times.
-Yeah, I saw.

-You can already speak German?
-Yeah, I did a course.

An intensive course.

And I told myself,
if you want to go to school,

you have to learn German.

-That's crazy.
-Yes, it's hard.

It's a really difficult language.

But now I can stay in Germany.

I'll finish school,
and then I'll do an apprenticeship.

Industrial mechanics.

Industrial mechanics?

Cool.

Well, that's great.

We're stuck here.

I know how we can get out of here.

I knew Mauro had a sailing license.

So he and Nina took
the next flight to Majorca,

posed as tourists, chartered a boat,

and sailed nonstop for five days
and five nights to Lampedusa.

While the rest of the crew
flew back to Berlin,

Nina and Mauro smuggled us off the island.

For a brief moment, we were free.

We're officially in international waters.
You can come up.

I know this is very inappropriate,
but it came free with the boat rental, so…

-Cheers.
-…whatever.

To us.

The case against us became
one of the longest and most complex

ever brought against
a civilian sea rescue organization.

The authorities wanted
to use us to set a precedent,

without any evidence
to back up their claims.

They branded us the "taxis of the sea"

and tried to discourage and silence us.

We traveled tirelessly across Europe,

looking for people
who could vouch for our innocence.

Many lived in camps and shelters,

hoping for a safe future.

Everyone was willing to testify for us.

On April 19, 2024,

after more than 40 hearings and 7 years,

the judge handed down the verdict.

We were acquitted on all counts.

All I can say is, I would always save
people from drowning again.

Helping is not a crime.

It's an act of humanity.

BETWEEN 2016 AND 2017,

THE IUVENTA CREW SAVED OVER 23,000 LIVES.

DURING THE SEVEN-YEAR TRIAL
AGAINST THE IUVENTA,

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DROWNED
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

WITH THE ONE MILLION EUROS
SPENT ON THE TRIAL,

JUGEND RETTET COULD HAVE CONTINUED
SAVING LIVES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

FOR FOUR MORE YEARS.

OR BOUGHT SIX MORE SHIPS LIKE THE IUVENTA

AND USED THEM FOR RESCUE OPERATIONS.

THE IUVENTA RUSTED IN THE PORT OF TRAPANI.

IN 2024, THE WRECK WAS RETURNED
TO JUGEND RETTET.

MANY MEMBERS OF THE IUVENTA CREW
REMAINED ACTIVE DESPITE THE CHARGES

AND WORKED
WITH OTHER RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS.

IN 2020, THE IUVENTA CREW WAS AWARDED

THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE FOR THEIR WORK.

THEIR STORY INSPIRED MANY OTHERS
TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED.

THIS FILM IS DEDICATED TO ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN,

TO THOSE WHO SURVIVED,
AND TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED THEM.

23,000 LIVES

Subtitle translation by: Diana Renker